UKARA

United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association

The United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association was formed in response to the 2006 Violent Crime Reduction bill to enable a safe method of selling Realistic Imitation Firearms (RiF's) to the UK Airsoft player market by confirming the eligibility of purchasers.

Game sites and players are free to join, to find out how and whether your eligible please view the following sections.

Player registration

Player registration is free, to become a registered airsoft player you are required to take part in three games at the same UKARA registered game site over a minimum of two months, e.g. the third game being 56 days or more after the first.

You must be over 18 years of age, live within the UK and able to provide identification such as Passport, Drivers License or Bank Statement.

Please print and complete the form clearly before supplying to your game site for validation.

Game site registration

If you operate an Airsoft game site that wishes to be become UKARA registered, please download the form below and return by email completed with your Airsoft Public Liability Insurance to the address found at the bottom of the page (please review the operational parameters 1 to 9). There is currently no charge for Game Site registration.

You will need to arrange with your insurance company for permission for UKARA to contact them by phone to confirm insured status if required. Forms should be completed and returned by the Senior game site operator, please do not duplicate returns.

Once processed your site name, web URL and address will be added to the approved sites list for the customers benefit. This will show sites that can be attended to obtain validation, and you will be issued with a UKARA stamp for validating player forms.

Please use membership numbers which are in the format of XXX12345 - three alpha characters followed by five numeric characters. The exact site-specific format should be agreed at time of registration.

Confidential information will be held on a secure database and will only be used for confirming your membership of the UKARA scheme. Failure to follow validating procedure in a professional manner will mean an immediate termination of your approved status.

To register with UKARA as a game site you must follow these operating parameters:

Must have, and keep more than 20 registered eligible players ( within 6 months except in special circumstances ).

Must have a venue, or authorisation to use a venue.

Must have third party liability for the game of Airsoft appropriate to the terms of operation.

Must run proper Airsoft Skirmishing games with players shooting players in scenarios.

Must keep accurate records of all its members and their details accessible for scrutiny.

Only register new players who have played 3 games over a period of time of more than 56 days (2 months) who are over 18 and have verified their home address & date of birth.

Must not register players on behalf of other game sites.

Will not register parents or guardians of under age players except where they qualify by right.

Should realise that should legal action be taken against a retailer in association of a sale, player verification will be a major issue.

Retailer registration

To apply as a retailer please download and complete the following PDF form. All applications must be scanned with accompanying paper work and returned by email to the address found below.

Before applying you must be able to comply with section 6. Applications can take up to one working month to process.

UKARA retains the right to cancel or terminate any retailer registration without a refund should it bring UKARA directly or indirectly into disrepute, and/or trade outside standard UK business face to face and distance selling regulations.

Applicants must have verifiable commercial premises.

Must retail Airsoft products as one of their main product lines.

Must have a business cheque account.

Shall have a business insurance policy relating Airsoft to protect the retailer, employee and the customer with public liability.

Must provide 2 Trade References from Airsoft Retailers or Wholesalers.

Must have all the first 5 points before making an application.

The business must display full contact details with a fully comprehensive list of terms and conditions of sales, which must include the legal requirements for, sales, returns, repairs, and a complaints procedure on your web site, or in its shop.

Must not be acting as a sales office for a non UK firm.

Must be a retailer and not a wholesaler.

Must keep all processed player forms as hard copies and make available if required, or return to UKARA Admin if membership is terminated by either side.

UKARA database GDPR policy and information

ICO registration No. ZA031959

UKARA is a non profit making player registration system for airsoft game site members and re-enactors.

The database service is an in house secure system run on UKARA own dedicated server. The programming is provided by a professional individual retained by UKARA with a non disclosure contract. Day to day data management is by a UKARA Admin representative.

The player data is provided by the players game site, or re-enactment society by permission of the individual registering.

Verification of the authenticity of information provided is the responsibility of the player’s registering games site or re-enactment society.

The system is designed to allow retailer members of UKARA to verify the legal status of purchasers, to comply with the relevant section of the Violent Crime Reduction Act as related to Realistic Imitation Firearms.

The system can also be accessed on an individual look up basis by the UK Boarder Agency to allow player imports of RiFs & 24/7 Intelligence department, Hampshire Police also in reference to imports. All retained data is accessible to the administrator and programming technical staff.

Any other third-party access to data would only be permitted when the terms of the Data-Protection act have been for-filled for legal access requirements.

Data saved on the system is name, date of birth, post code, email address, registration and expiry date, and information of game site or re-enactment membership organization.

Retention of the data is nominal in perpetuity, although access is no longer available to non administrator, or technical staff after 3 (x years) years of a player expiring.

The retention of data is to cover the retailer should the legality of a sale be challenged in the future.

Data is not available, or accessible, to any third party organisation, individual, or for any other purpose than directly related to airsoft RiF purchase.

Data such as email or post code may be updated by the individual give appropriate proof identity.

Information held may be requested by certified application of a registrant to admin@ukara.org.uk

Player registration may be suspended by request of the player’s game site, re-enactment society, UKARA Admin or the player themselves. Although their record will remain on the database as having been registered.